title: Maxillary reaction patterns identified by three-dimensional analysis of casts from infants with unilateral cleft lip and palate.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In order to visualize and quantify the direction and extent of morphological upper-jaw changes in infants with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) during early orthodontic treatment, a three-dimensional method of cast analysis for routine application was developed. In the present investigation, this method was used to identify reaction patterns associated with specific cleft forms.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included a cast series reflecting the upper-jaw situations of 46 infants with complete (n=27) or incomplete (n=19) UCLP during week 1 and months 3, 6, and 12 of life. Three-dimensional datasets were acquired and visualized with scanning software (DigiModel®; OrthoProof, The Netherlands). Following interactive identification of landmarks on the digitized surface relief, a defined set of representative linear parameters were three-dimensionally measured. At the same time, the three-dimensional surfaces of one patient series were superimposed based on a defined reference plane. Morphometric differences were statistically analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thanks to the user-friendly software, all landmarks could be identified quickly and reproducibly, thus, allowing for simultaneous three-dimensional measurement of all defined parameters. The measured values revealed that significant morphometric differences were present in all three planes of space between the two patient groups. Patients with complete UCLP underwent significantly larger reductions in cleft width (p<0.001), and sagittal growth in the complete UCLP group exceeded sagittal growth in the incomplete UCLP group by almost 50% within the first year of life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on patients with incomplete versus complete UCLP, different reaction patterns were identified that depended not on apparent severities of malformation but on cleft forms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, University of Cologne Medical School, Kerpener Str. 32, 50931, Cologne, Germany. dr.julia.neuschulz@gmx.de
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Neuschulz
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schaefer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scheer
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Christ
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Braumann
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology*; D059925:Anatomic Landmarks / Q000473:pathology; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003735:Dental Casting Technique; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology; D008445:Maxillofacial Development; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016896:Treatment Outcome